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South East Chicago Commission Announces the MacArthur Foundation Grant for 2017

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

South East Chicago Commission Announces the MacArthur Foundation Grant

CHICAGO (July 17, 2017) – The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation today announced nearly $10 million in new grants to Chicago organizations to help them grow stronger or expand, and to reduce violence in Chicago communities. As one of the grant recipients, the South East Chicago Commission (SECC) will receive $380,000 over four years for institutional support.

The institutional support award creates financial empowerment for organizations, like the SECC, that are seeking to solidify long-term sustainability, develop a strategic plan, invest in technology, or increase capacity.

In January 2017, the SECC and the University of Chicago announced a new era of their longstanding partnership as the SECC transitions to an autonomous, self-governing organization. “The MacArthur Foundation institutional grant support is perfectly-timed and allows the SECC to forge ahead with more certainty and confidence about the future,” says Shirley Newsome, board chairman of the South East Chicago Commission. “This transition will allow the SECC to continue serving an important role for surrounding communities as it has done for more than six decades.”

The South East Chicago Commission is dedicated to improving quality of life for Mid-South Side residents and collaborating with neighbors, elected officials, local organizations and community stakeholders. The SECC will continue to support stakeholders in community planning, civic engagement, shop local and shop small initiatives, and programs that keep local neighborhoods safe and vibrant. Through economic development initiatives such as Special Service Area #61 Downtown Hyde Park, the CIRCLE Program, and the Neighborhood Business Development Center; and through community development initiatives including the Neighborhood Enhancement Grant, Woodlawn Community Summit, and Washington Park Summit, the SECC will continue to offer valuable resources and opportunities for collaboration.

“We graciously thank the MacArthur Foundation for empowering all of the grant recipients to transform our city,” says Wendy Walker Williams, Executive Director. “As we address the needs for economic development, we can strengthen our business districts, create new jobs for our youth, support new training programs, increase participation in our local economy and ultimately reduce the crime that deeply concerns all of us.”

Building on MacArthur’s four-decade commitment to Chicago, the grants announced today reflect the Foundation’s new approach to helping achieve a better Chicago for all. Click here to read the MacArthur Foundation press release.